It all started at Chico State during their freshman year. Both were taking their very first college course ever. The professor assigned a task that required students to interact with classmates through a Facebook group. Out of 100+ students, Tony commented on Briana’s post. That was their first interaction and the first time they knew the other existed. Fast forward to Welcome Week. Against all odds, they ran into each other in front of the University Village dorm bus stop. They instantly recognized one another from that Facebook comment. They smiled, said hello, and rode the bus to campus together. From there, they became good friends. Such good friends that Tony stopped going to Art History… and Briana would sign him in for attendance. (What are friends for, right?) A semester passed before they were finally classmates again, this time in Econ. Tony sat behind Briana, and let’s just say… he found that class very interesting. He liked it so much, or Briana for that matter, that he showed up every single day. Something sparked. Something shifted. They started asking each other to hang out on campus and in the dorms to “study.” And no, seriously, they actually studied… and passed! Truthfully, they were both shy about their feelings. They knew there was something there but never quite had the courage to say it out loud. Then summer happened. And they never stopped talking. Not even for one day. From morning to bedtime, they were completely in a trance with one another. When August rolled around, the “friends” reunited, this time fully aware of how they felt. It took Tony only a few days to start calling Briana “babe.” Briana, though hesitant at first, couldn’t leave his side. A month later, Tony finally built up the courage to ask Briana to be his girlfriend. She said yes. The next few years were filled with late nights hitting the books, friendships that turned into family, and welcoming their first dog, Pinto. They both graduated in 2020 with their bachelor’s degrees. In 2021, Briana earned her master’s degree, and Tony completed his teaching credential. Then came the big question: Were they going their separate ways — SoCal and NorCal? The reality was, they couldn’t imagine life without each other. So they made the leap to Hollister so Tony could begin his teaching career. Briana quickly found her niche and began her digital organizing journey. A year later, they rescued their baby girl, Hazy. Their little family felt whole. But Tony was already planning the next chapter. He started working summer school, day and night, under the disguise of saving for a vacation to Hawaii. What Briana didn’t know was that he had something much bigger planned. After landing on the island of Oahu on just two hours of sleep, Tony dragged Briana to a “secret” beach in front of their resort. He felt sick to his stomach, convinced she somehow knew. She didn’t. When Briana noticed an engagement set up nearby, she whispered, “Tony, we’re going to ruin someone’s proposal!” Tony smiled and said, “Are we?” They walked toward a beautiful setup of white roses, photos of their memories displayed in the sand, and a sign that read: Will you marry me? That’s when it finally hit her. Tony got down on one knee. And she said “yes.” The rest of the story… Well, you’ll have to join them for the ride. 🤍✨